BETWEEN THE LINES

A midterm strategy for GOP

Joseph Farah is founder, editor and chief executive officer of WND. He is the author or co-author of 13 books that have sold more than 5 million copies, including his latest, "The Restitution of All Things: Israel, Christians, and the End of the Age." Before launching WND as the first independent online news outlet in 1997, he served as editor in chief of major market dailies including the legendary Sacramento Union.

Has the Republican Party even noticed that we’re just over two months away from an important midterm election?

Maybe it’s a stupid question.

But I ask because I can’t discern that Republicans have any grand plan to expand what promises to be a sweeping and resounding victory Nov. 4. Instead, they appear content to rely on dissatisfaction with Barack Obama and the Democratic way.

That’s all well and good. However, it would be nice if the Republicans had some kind of vision for capitalizing on the poor performance of the other party – even if it is no more than a clever marketing gimmick.

For instance, I don’t hear Republican candidates for the House and the Senate talking much about Obamacare – even though the majority of Americans oppose it vehemently. Now, I know a lot has happened since Obamacare was passed. It’s almost a distant memory in the fog of Obama chaos that has followed.

Nevertheless, it’s a unifying issue – it’s a clear way to nationalize the midterm elections.

But it’s important to remind voters nationwide that Obama didn’t create Obamacare unilaterally with an executive order, as he threatens to do on other issues. No, he got both houses of Congress to support it when Democrats ruled. More than that, Obamacare was created entirely with Democratic votes – no Republicans.

This leads to two questions:

On the very eve of the 2014 midterm elections, with control of the House and Senate hanging in the balance, why aren’t Republicans reminding Americans who is responsible for Obamacare and who opposed it?

Secondly, since this is a midterm election and Obama is not on the ballot, why are we still referring to the health-care bill as “Obamacare”? Why don’t we rename in during this midterm election campaign what it truly is – “DemocratCare.”

I mean, come on! Democrats running for election or re-election in 2015 must love when their opponents call the unpopular health-care legislation “Obamacare.” It takes them off the hook. Many of them are actually running campaigns designed to distance themselves from Obama.

But the so-called “Affordable Care Act” was hardly the work of one man. It was the work of every Democrat in the House and Senate – no Republicans.

If a midterm election isn’t the time to remind Americans of that fact, I don’t know when is.

Obama’s not on the ballot.

If he chooses to follow the law in 2016 (admittedly always a big “if”), he will never be on the ballot again. So clearly it’s time to change the name of the Democrats’ signature piece of legislation that remains singularly unpopular.

This isn’t just a good idea for 2014, by the way. Do I need to remind Republicans that there will be a presidential election in 2016 and Obama won’t be running? Do we want to let other Democrats off the hook, including some who may be running as his successor? All Democrats need to be tarred with the health-care debacle. That’s why it should be renamed “DemocratCare.” They’re all responsible. They were all for it. Even those who were not in the House or the Senate when it came up for a vote supported it. It’s the universal sin of the Democratic Party.

Again, what better time to start rebranding the issue. It’s the best thing Republicans have going for them in 2014, with a chance using it again in 2016.

Without a change in the name, it will have less firepower this year, with a diminishing return in 2016.

Those are my two cents.

It’s so easy.

It’s so obvious.

It can’t backfire.

It effectively nationalizes the midterm election without even trying, without breaking a sweat. There’s no need for a “Contract With America,” something way beyond the vision of today’s Republican leadership. All they need to do this year is remind Americans who gave us Obamacare. It wasn’t just Obama. It was every Democrat.